Operation: Reality Check
A Sailor Moon/Reality Jumpers FanFic
By Roehl Sybing
Episode 12: The Night Out
(WARNING: This is another one of those breaks from the main story plot)
It was three in the morning. Mike woke up when he heard noises coming from downstairs. He got up from the beanbag he was sleeping in and decided to see what was up. He left the room with a stun gun in hand, but not before he could take a look at Mina, who was sleeping in his bed.
Slowly Mike walked down the stairs and walked in the direction the noises were coming from. It led him to the kitchen. Mike peeked in and noticed the refrigerator door wide open. He turned on the stun gun and ran in the doorway. But he turned off the weapon when he realized who it was.
"Artemis, it's three in the morning!"
"I was hungry! I'm looking for cat food."
"I don't have a cat."
"Yeah, that's right. Well, for now you have me."
"You say that as if it was a good thing. I have milk, you want that?"
"Please?"
Mike pulled a carton of milk from the top shelf of the refrigerator. He also grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and poured the milk into it. He laid it on the table, where Artemis was sitting.
As Mike sat down, the cat said, "So, why is Mina and I sleeping in your house?"
"Does it matter?"
"Not really. But she could've asked, what's their names? Oh, yeah, Jackie, or Kim, if she could stay there..."
"No she couldn't. I asked Mina to stay here."
At that, Artemis stopped drinking the milk. He walked up to Mike and stared at him.
"What?" Mike said.
"..................."
"WHAT?"
"..............No. Too obvious," and the cat turned away and jumped off the table.
"C'mon, tell me!"
"Well, if I'm right," Artemis said as he left the kitchen. "I bet you won't get anywhere with her, know what I mean?"
"What're you talking about?" Mike said. But he knew exactly what the cat was talking about. He sighed and sat back in his chair. "D*mn, that cat's right!" he thought. "But what'll Mina say if I do ask?"
Still awake, he turned on the radio.
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"Do I Have To Say The Words?"
Bryan Adams
(lyrics edited)
Rescue me from the mind
Whisper words of desire
Rescue me, darling rescue me
Rescue me from despair
Tell me you will be there
Help me please, darling rescue me
With this world closing in
There's no need to pretend
Rescue me, darling rescue me
I don't want to let you go
So I'm standing in your way
I never needed anyone
Like I needed you today
Do I have to say the words?
Do I have to tell the truth?
Do I have to shout it out?
Do I have to say a prayer?
I must've proved to you
How good we are together
But do I have to say the words?
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With the stun gun in hand, Mike fired at the radio, destroying it in an instant. He sighed again and said, "I'm going to bed..."
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Staten Island Mall, Saturday noon. Mike was in the music store, looking at the latest music charts, when Serena entered the store. "Hey, Mike!" she said.
"Hi, Serena," Mike replied. "How did you get here?"
"Well, we all decided to go to the mall today."
"We? Who's we?"
"Hmm, me, Lita, Kim, Mina, and J--"
Mike jumped when she heard that word. "Mina? Where is she?"
"...ackie. Huh? Oh, we all split up, but I heard Mina went to have some lunch. Wish I could...I don't have enough money for food! Say, could I borrow some---hey, where are you going?!?"
Mike didn't hear Serena's last sentence because he was running out of the store and up the escalator. On the way, he could almost tell that was Kim walking by with a few shopping bags in her hand. In fact, he ran into her, causing all of her merchandise to fly into the air and back down, all scattered on the ground.
She tripped too, shouting, "Watch where you're going!"
Mike continued running, shouting back, "Sorry!"
When he knew he was near the food court, he slowed down to a walking speed. Mike bought some fries and a drink. Carrying it with a tray, he looked around "for a table."
But he could hear Mina's voice. "Mike! Over here!"
He followed that voice and it led Mike to the table Mina was sitting at.
He smiled and said, "Heh. What a coincidence! S'ok if I sit here?"
"Sure!" Mina replied as she smiled back. "Are you tired?" she asked when Mike gave a yawn.
"S-something kept me awake in the middle of the night..."
"Artemis, right?"
"Yeah! How'd you know?"
"He told me this morning."
"Uppt.....w-what else did he tell you?"
"Nothing, 'cept that you gave him some milk last night."
Mike gave a sigh of relief.
"There something I should know?"
"No....NO! Of course not! Just wanted to know..."
"Oh....."
It quickly became quiet between the two. After a minute, Mike finally said, "You've ever been around the city?"
"Not actually, why?"
"Well, I could...........show you around later tonight."
"...........Are you asking me out?"
"No! Why would I---yeah, I am..."
As embarrassed as Mike looked, Mina smiled and replied, "I'd love to."
"R-really!?" Mike said as he stood up.
"Yeah, I'll meet you back at the house around....7?"
"That'd be good, see ya later." At that he left the table.
Mina stared at Mike blankly as he walked out. "That's weird," she thought. "He didn't even take a bite out of his lunch..."
Mike had a big smile on his face when he exited of the food court. As he walked out, he saw Jackie and Lita staring at him.
"What?" Mike said.
Jackie replied, "Is this the 'I could show you around the city' bit?"
"You were spying on us, weren't you?"
"Oh, don't you change the subject on me!"
"So, when?" Lita asked.
"Seven o'clock."
Lita turned to Jackie and said, "I give him two hours."
"You kidding? I'd only give him one."
Mike interrupted, "Excuse me, ladies? How about I make it the entire night!?"
At that, both Jackie and Lita laughed. "Oh come on," Jackie said. "I know you WAY better than that."
"Yeah," Lita added. "And I know Mina better. Believe me, you won't get anywhere with her."
Mike replied, "You know, that's what Artemis said! Listen, everything'll be fine! I have everything worked out!"
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"I'm through," Mike said back in his room. It had just turned 6:30. "I don't even know where we should go tonight!"
"You told me you had everything planned," Artemis replied. "I told you, you'll get nowhere! Is it OK if I spell it out for you?"
Mike sighed and added, "Do you annoy Mina like this at home?"
"Not quite. You're a much easier target."
"Hmm, what to do, what to do..." Quickly, he opened his desk drawer. After a minute of searching, Mike pulled out a number of dollar bills totaling $250. "Never thought I'd use this. This'll cover dinner and a movie..."
"THIS is your plan? Doesn't this kind of thing require a bit more....thinking?"
"What do I look like....Chris? Besides, I still got a half hour more to think this over, right?"
Suddenly, Artemis and Mike heard a door open and close. "I'm back!" Mina said from down the stairs.
"So much for that," Artemis said.
"Oh, be quiet, cat," Mike replied.
Mina entered Mike's bedroom with a number of shopping bags in her hands as she threw them all onto the floor. "I need clothes, all my other ones are back home!"
"No kidding," Mike said. "You gonna wear one of those tonight?"
"Of course! So, where are we going tonight?"
"Well, I was thinking we'd go to the Colonnade for dinner, then later we'll catch a movie at the UA theater..."
"That'd be great! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go wash my hair and change clothes..." At that Mina took a set of clothing from a shopping bag and left the room.
"Am I lucky or what?" Mike asked to Artemis.
"Just the beginning," Artemis replied. "Just the beginning..."
"I'll be downstairs, bye!" Mike too left the room.
The cat watched Mike leave and close the door behind him. Artemis walked across the bed he was sitting on to a table with a phone on it. With his nose, he lifted the handle off the receiver. He also managed to press the buttons marked "SpkrPhone" "Jake" with his nose as well. After a few rings coming from the receiver, a voice came through. "Hello?" the voice said.
"Serena? Is that you?" Artemis asked.
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"Ready to go?" Mike asked while outside with Mina.
"Sure!" Mina replied. They walked on the sidewalk on the way to the Mag-Lev train that would lead them to the restaurant.
As they walked, Mike commented, "You look nice."
"Thanks. You too."
"Really? This is just the same clothes I wore this afternoon!"
"It looks good on you anyways."
"Well, I wish I could've wore something else."
"Doesn't matter. It's not like a really big date, right?"
Mike quickly became down. "Heh, right..."
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"This way, please," a man said to Mike and Mina. He was directing them to a table at the restaurant. He handed them their menus as they sat down and said, "Someone will see you in a minute, OK?"
"Thanks," Mike said. They both looked at their menu.
Mina asked, "I'm not really used to all this American food. What do you think is good?"
"Hmm, well, the alfredo fettucine is good around here."
"OK." At that she put down the menu.
Mike thought to himself, "Mike, this is getting nowhere fast! What do I do?"
At that moment, two people walked in. Mike recognized the two. It was Chris and Ami.
"What a coincidence," Chris said.
Ami added, "Yes, it is. Mina, when did you get here?"
"Just now," Mina replied suspiciously.
Mike just stared at Chris. Chris asked, "What?"
"I don't like coincidences, you know that."
Chris smiled and swung his arm back and forth, slapping Mike and Mina's table. "C'mon, we came here to eat, OK?"
".......OK. Have fun."
Chris and Ami walked further inside the restaurant so that the couple couldn't see them. They walked up to a table with other people in it. Specifically, it was all the other Jumpers. "OK, the bug is in place."
Kim said, "Will it work from here?"
"Yeah."
Serena looked up from her menu and asked, "Hey, can we order NOW?"
"Is that all you ever think about?" everyone else replied.
Chris and Ami sat down, and Chris pulled out a remote control with an antenna on it. He turned it on and static came through the receiver. Finally, a conversation was transmitted.
"It'll take, like, twenty minutes before the food gets here," Mike said.
"That's fine," Mina replied.
It became quiet again.
Forty-five minutes later. Both tables had their food served. The Jumpers were still listening to Mike and Mina's conversation.
"Remind me to use this whenever I need help falling asleep," Jackie said.
Kim added, "Yeah, I thought Mike was more of a conversation maker."
At the other table, Mina dropped her knife on the floor. "Oops," she said.
"I'll get it," Mike replied. He bent down to get the fallen knife, but as he looked up, he could see something sticking to the bottom side of the table. "I knew it," he thought.
When he sat back up, he looked at Mina and put his finger over his mouth. Mike then pointed underneath the table. Mina looked as well. A surprised look on her face showed when she looked back up.
Mike whispered so that the bug couldn't pick it up, "Just play along." And then he said out loud, "Mina, if I told you...I really liked you, would you believe me?"
Mina laughed, knowing this was all just to get the rest of the Jumpers back, and replied, "Of course! And...would you believe me if I really liked you too?"
"Wow. Now we're getting somewhere," Lita said.
"Eek!" Serena shouted. "What is that?"
Everyone turned and said, "What? What?"
"There's something in the food!"
At once, they all groaned. "Um, Serena," Chris replied. "That's just an onion."
"What a coincidence, eh?" Mike asked.
Still giggling, Mina replied, "Yeah, who would've thought?"
When the waiter came by, Mike requested for the check. He turned to Mina and added, "Want to go to the movies now?"
"Oh, I'll go anywhere with you!"
"This is getting too weird," Jackie said.
"Yeah," Kim replied. "Everything went from mild to wild in a matter of minutes!"
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Mike and Mina, while holding hands just in case the others were still watching, walked out of the restaurant.
"You think they bought it?" Mina said.
"I think so. Man, they thought they could get away with spying!"
"How did they know that we were here?"
"I don't know, but I'll bet my next allowance they'll be at the movie theater. C'mon, we'd better continue this act!"
Mike thought to himself, "This is great! This is my chance to get closer. Am I lucky or what?"
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"You said you loved me!"
"I did, but she was more attractive than you! And her clothes..."
"You.......jerk!"
"Hey, I could've sworn this movie got five stars," Mike said. The couple was at the movie theater. Half of the time, Mike and Mina weren't paying any attention to the movie. They were relying on their peripheral vision to see if the others were there. Mike whispered to Mina, "They're one row behind us. To the right."
Mina turned her head to face Mike, but moved her eyes slightly to see the other Jumpers. Quickly, the Jumpers looked in the opposite direction.
"You think they saw us?" Serena asked.
"Doubt it," Kim replied. "They're probably just admiring each other."
"I'm going to get a snack," Mike said. "Want anything?"
"No, thanks."
Mike stood up and quietly moved out of the row to the left. After a minute, he came back with a box of chocolates. He sat down and quietly ate them. "Sure you don't want any?" Mike asked as he held the box towards Mina.
"Well.......OK," Mina replied. She took a handful of chocolates from the box and ate some.
"I guess it's just Mike to be generous," Chris said.
Ami added, "Yeah, and it's rare for Mina to refuse an offer."
As soon as Mike finished the chocolates, he looked inside the box. "Aw, cool!" he said as he pulled something from the bottom of the box. "A surprise!" He removed the wrapping secretly and revealed a toy ring. Mike revealed it in the little light in the theater to show what it looked like.
Lita looked surprised. "Is....is that real?"
"I don't believe this," Jackie said. "He got a ring for Mina already!?"
"I don't wear jewelry," Mike said to Mina. "You want this?"
Mina smiled and replied, "Well, OK!" She took it out of Mike's hand and placed it on her finger. Jokingly, she added, "Ooh, it's pretty!"
"I'm outta here," Kim said as she got out of her seat.
Serena also stood up and said, "Yeah, this is WAY past the level of weird!"
One by one, the other Jumpers left their seats and exited the movie theater.
Mike turned around and said, "Hmm, they're gone..."
"Yeah, what happened?" Mina asked. They looked towards the screen and finished the movie.
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Mike and Mina took the Mag-Lev back to the house. On their way home, Mike said, "I bet we surprised them,"
"Yeah, me too," Mina replied.
"Should we break the news to them tomorrow?"
"No......I kinda liked this. Well, at first this was supposed to be a joke, but, you know, I enjoyed going this fast."
Mike was surprised. He smiled and said, "W-wha...?"
Mina blushed and smiled as well. They looked at each other, and slowly they got closer, and closer....
At that moment, Mina put her hand over Mike's mouth, saying, "Not too fast, you know."
"Yeah..." Mike replied. "C'mon, let's go home."
But both Mike and Mina thought, "YES!"
TO BE CONTINUED....